The Bourne Identity

Jason Bourne is pulled from the sea suffering from amnesia with a pair of bullet wounds in his back. His only clue to his own identity is a bank account number etched on a capsule implanted in his body. He finds the Zurich bank where money, a gun, and several passports with different names await. He quickly realizes he can trust no one and offers a German gypsy named Maria ten thousand dollars for a ride to Paris. With Maria's reluctant help, Bourne edges closer to the truth, something CIA officials want concealed at all costs.

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This is the 1988 ORIGINAL Borne Identity made-for-TV movie that aired two consecutive nights on ABC. It has a total run time of 3 hours, 5 minutes, divided into two segments. Both are on the one DVD found in the library sleeve.
Directed by Roger Young for Warner Brothers Television with Richard Chamberlain starring in the title role, along with Jaclyn Smith, Anthony Quayle, Donald Moffat, Yorgo Voyagis, Peter Vaughan, and Denholm Elliott (as Washburn), this version more closely follows the novel by Ludlum, unlike the 2002 Matt Damon version.
SPOILER ALERT!
The film exhibits these slight differences from The Bourne Identity novel:
Alexander Conklin is killed by one of his own people when attempting to confront Bourne; in the novel he survives and appears in subsequent novels.
Carlos the Jackal is killed in the film's climactic battle by Bourne, whereas he escapes in the confusion at the end of the book.

The Bourne Identity introduces a new and familiar character to the hearts of most action movie lovers. Jason Bourne is that character you are sure you know loads about and yet nothing. Matt Damon somehow manages to make the cliche of a virtuous killer not as tiring and beleaguered as most current action drama heroes are. Bourne seems ruthless and yet very warm. The movie develops from into an attempt to unravel the philosophic quest for identity that every human being faces, with its engaging plot and round main characters. The action in and out of itself is not a disappointment. Damon presents a convincingly lethal performance that complements the titular character adequately. The movie fortunately fails to evolve into the modern cliche of good versus evil and instead maintains its grasp of complex characters with complex morals and ethics. With four out of five stars, the movie is a good enough start for the highly successful franchise.
- @TheEccentric of the Teen Review Board of the Hamilton Public Library

Is the Bourne Identity as written by Robert Ludlum? No. It shares a title, some of the same characters and some of the plot points, but it isn't the Bourne Identity as written by Robert Ludlum. (For a version that sticks closely to Ludlum's novel look for the 1988 TV Movie with Richard Chamberlain.) Is it a good movie featuring the character of Jason Bourne? Yes, yes it is. I think that if you've read the books, you might be a little disappointed. If you haven't and like good spy/action movies, then you'll probably enjoy it.

Using Robert Ludlum's book Bourne Identity as a story platform, the movie blasts off on a journey that pulsates with action, energy and fear throughout its two-hour tour. The thundering beat of music--John Powell won yet another ASCAP prize for his work--underlying the action creates a feeling of havoc and hopelessness for the lead Matt Damon's Jason Bourne. The movie leaves no time to ever get bored, there's way too much peril for that, but the editing done by Saar Klein (The Thin Red Line) pushes one into the action and never lets go. It is near impossible to look away. Movie goers are lucky Robert Ludlum left his profession at age 40 to pursue his passion: writing. Luck continued as Doug Liman directed this fast-paced rogue-CIA-bad-guys tale as he did 2007's Bourne Ultimatum. The Bourne series (three with Damon) stands the test of time as classics.

Summary

Jason Bourne is found wounded and floating in the Mediterranean Sea by fishermen. He has no idea how he got there, or who in fact he is. His only hope is a Swiss bank account number found embedded under his skin. The bank account's safety deposit box contains cash, a gun, and numerous passports from various countries, some with the name "Jason Bourne", and some with other names. Bourne discovers he possesses highly trained martial arts, language, and memory skills. He also discovers someone definitely want him dead. So the plot questions to be resolved are: Why was he found wounded and in the sea? Why does he have so many passports? Why does he possess these peculiar skills? Who wants him dead? And why?

Jason Bourne: Who has a safety deposit box full of... money and six passports and a gun? Who has a bank account number in their hip? I come in here, and the first thing I'm doing is I'm catching the sightlines and looking for an exit.
Marie: I see the exit sign, too, I'm not worried. I mean, you were shot. People do all kinds of weird and amazing stuff when they are scared.
Jason Bourne: I can tell you the license plate numbers of all six cars outside. I can tell you that our waitress is left-handed and the guy sitting up at the counter weighs two hundred fifteen pounds and knows how to handle himself. I know the best place to look for a gun is the cab of the gray truck outside, and at this altitude, I can run flat out for a half mile before my hands start shaking. Now why would I know that? How can I know that and not know who I am?